Turntables



Oct. 30, 1962 T. v. PIOTROWSKI TURNTABLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 24, 1960 T. V. PIOTROWSKI Oct. 30, 1962 TURNTABLES v 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 24, 1960 FIG. 5.

INVENTOF? g'aozusz PIOTEOWSKI 4L rm ATTORNEY Oct. 30, 1962 1'. v. PIOTROWSKI 3,050,855

TURNTABLES Filed March 24, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 THDEUSZ PIOTEOWSKI B? 4 Jm FITTOENE Y 3,060,865 TURNTABLES Tadeusz V. Piotrowski, Choriton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, Engiand, assignor t Simon-Canes Limited,

tockport, England, a British company Filed Mar. 24, 1960, Ser. No. 17,378 Claims priority, application Great Britain Apr. Zfi, 1959 15 Ciaims. (Cl. 104-130) This invention is concerned with improvements in and relating to turntables and in particular relates to means whereby flange-wheeled vehicles which normally run on rails may selectively be passed around a turntable in the known manner or may alternatively be passed straight across a chord thereof.

The invention is particularly adapted for use at the shaft head of a coal or ore mine where mine cars are brought to the surface in a mine cage and then have to be passed through a tippler for inversion and the removal of their contents before being moved to the cage for return down the shaft to the mine working or gallery.

In order to maintain a regular flow of cars from the cage, through the tippler, and back to the cage it is preferred to arrange that the cars shall be moved in a continuous stream, or closed circuit, so that no time is lost through reversal of the cars or through lateral transfer devices. It is thus preferred that the tracks upon which the mine cars are moved at the surface be laid in the form of substantially a loop having straight sides joined by rounded ends; the mine cage being raised into one of the straight sides and the tippler being located in the other straight side. The straight sides may be as long as is desired, and turntables, of which there is one at each end of the straight sides, join these sides together in the form of an arcuate trackway at each end of the loop.

There may be two such closed-circuit tracks at each shaft head; each having a pit cage and tippler associated with it in such a sense that the closed circuit in one set of tracks runs counter-clockwise and the other runs clockwise.

In the operation of such circuits, when the mine cage comes to the surface its upper deck track is proved in the line with the surface track, platforms are lowered to bridge the gaps between the cage and the surface rails and empty cars are rammed into the cage; the empty cars ejecting the loaded cars from the cage onto the adjacent straight side of the loop. This is repeated for different decks of the cage, which is then lowered down the shaft with its load of empty cars.

Meanwhile, loaded cars are being run through the tippler in the known way and the loaded cars from the cage are gradually moved along the straight track at the cageside, around the loaded-car turntable, along the other straight track and through the tippler. The cars, empty when they leave the tippler, continue to be moved along the straight track on the tippler side, around the empty car turntable, and back into the cage, completing the closed circuit.

Periodically, each mine car requires to be inspected and may require repairs or other structural maintenance, but to do this whilst the car was still in circuit would be dangerous unless the whole circuit was stopped, thereby leading to a loss of working time. Suitable switch points could be inserted in one of the straight sides of the circuit, preferably between the tippler and the cage. This, however, would lead to the duplication of tracks adjacent the shaft head and tippler, Where lateral space is normally limited.

Space is, however, normally available at each end of the loop, and it is the object of the present invention to provide means whereby mine cars can be introduced into, or removed from, the shaft head tippler circuit without L'Il the necessity for interfering with, or hindering the movement of, the remaining cars in the circuit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a closed circuit track system incorporating such means.

According to the invention, therefore, means for facilitating the introduction, or removal, of vehicles to or from a closed-circuit track system, comprises a switch arm secured to and pivotable in a peripheral guide rail on said turntable and adapted to be moved in a horizontal plane between a position wherein said switch arm comprises an arcuate continuation of the inner periphery of said guide rail and a position wherein said switch arm comprises a continuation of a substantially-straight track portion crossing said turntable on a chord thereof.

Also according to the invention, a closed-circuit track system comprises a pair of substantially-parallel track sections, a pair of linearly-spaced turntables interposed in, and connecting together, said parallel track sections, means secured to or adjacent, at least one end of each track section and adapted to be moved between one position wherein a portion of the means defines a substantially-linear continuation of one rail of the associated track section and a second position wherein a portion of said means comprises an arcuate continuation of a peripheral guide rail of the associated turntable.

Further, according to the invention, in a turntable for a railed track system, a switch arm comprises a plurality of sections each pivotally connected together for limited relative movement in a horizontal plane, each section comprising an elongated member having one linearly-concave vertical side and one vertical straight side, the limited relative movement between said sections in one horizontal direction being such as to permit said concave sides to cooperate to form an arc of substantially constant radius and the limited relative movement in the other horizontal direction being such as to permit the straight sides to cooperate to define a substantially straight side throughout the length of said switch arm.

But a better understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following description when this is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which,

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a track system and a pair of complementary turntables incorporating the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line 22 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 5 is a plan similar to FIGURE 1 with the decking plate and rails of the turntable removed and a portion of the underplate broken away,

FIGURE 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of a switch arm,

FIGURE 7 is a bottom plan view of the switch arm of FIGURE 6, and

FIGURE 8 is a section taken on line 8-8 of FIGURE 7 showing a detail thereof.

In one form of the invention as applied to a closed-circuit track adapted to receive loaded mine cars from one side of a mine cage and to lead the cars in succession through a tippler and back to the opposite side of the mine cage for return down the shaft to the mine workings, the system consists of two parallel two-rail tracks 2 and 3, the inner rails 4- and 5 of which are laterally separated by a distance substantially equivalant to twice the gauge of the track. One of the tracks is aligned with a track in the mine cage and the other track is aligned with the track within a tippler so that when the rail tracks in the mine cage and the tippler are in their respective correct positions, cars from the cage and the tippler may be fed on to the respective parallel tracks 2 and 3 and vice versa. In the case of double-track mine cages, the

a '3 tracks 2 and 3 are repeated a second tippler interposed therein.

To enable the cars from the mine cage track to be transferred to the tippler track, and vice versa, a pair of complementary turntables 6 and 6 is located between the two tracks 2 and 3 at a suitable distance on the exit and approach sides of the mine cage and tippler and these turntables serve to move the cars through the lateral space between the adjacent tracks 2 and 3 and, at the'same time, to keep the cars orientated in the same aspect relative to their normal direction of travel. These turntables are of identical construction and their elements are designated by similar reference characters.

It is to be appreciated that either of the tracks 2 or 3 may be the approach track, depending upon the relationship of the turntables to the cage and tippler.

Each turntable 6, 6 has a diameter substantially equal to therdistance between the outer rails 7 and 8 of the tracks 2 and 3 and it comprises a circular flat metal plate 9 having a smooth upper surface. The plate 9 is rotatable in a horizontal plane about a vertical spindle 10 and is supported from beneath by a plurality of rollers 12 ar ranged in a circle beneath the plate on a diameter substantially equal to the distance between the centres of the adjacent tracks 2 and 3.

A motor 11 is located beneath the plate 9 and is connected through a speed-reducing gearbox 13 to drive a twin sprocket 12 The plate 9 has a drum 14 secured concentrically thereof and depending downwards therefrom, and two endless roller chains 15 are secured around the periphery of the drum 14 in such a position that the respective chains are each engaged by the teeth of the respective sprockets of the twin pair 12 thereof. Thus rotation of the motor 11 and sprocket 12 will rotate the plate 9. The plate 9 is arranged to be rotated from the approach track towards the exit track and whether this rotation is clockvtu'se or counter-clockwise will depend upon the direction of travel of the cars from the cage to the tippler.

When cars are being moved around on the turntable the radius of the semi-circle through which they have to be moved is so small that their wheels would bind on normal rails set to that radius. Accordingly, it is the practice to run the cars oif the rails as they come on to the turntable and to run them back on to the rails as they leave the turntable. During their journey around the tumtable, around which they are carried by the rotating plate 9, the wheel flanges skid or slide on the smooth surface of the plate 9 under the guidance of outer and inner guide rails 16 and 17 (FIGURES 1 and 3).

The guide rail 16, secured to a fixed framework 19 by brackets 20, is of channel section having its channels directed radially-outwards of the turntable so that its web 21 is directed inwardly towards the plate 9. The guide rail 16 is curved to the arc of the periphery of the plate 9 and has a wearing strip 22 secured detachably to its inner vertical surface. The inner guiderail 17 is similarly of channel section curved to the arc of a fixed plate 23 which is secured to a fixed base frame 24 and extends past the spindle 10 from between the tracks 2 and 3 towards the guide rail 16. The inner guide rail 17 lies above the surface of the plate 9 substantially midway between the spindle 10 and the outer periphery of the plate 9 so that the radial distance between the guide rails 16 and 17 is somewhat greater than the gauge of the rails 4 and 7 or 5 and 8; thus enabling the cars to be passed around the turntable in a tighter curve than would be possible if the wheels remained on the rails. The guide rail 17 has a wearing strip 25 attached to its outer periphery.

The cars are normally moved on to the turntable by the action of the loading and unloading rams at the cage or tippler, as the case may be, in the normal way, i.e. full cars from the cage are ejected by a corresponding number of empty cars being pushed into the cage by the in the opposite sense and have cage-loading ram or rams, or empty cars are ejected from the tippler by full cars being pushed theremto by the tippler loading ram or rams. In such cases, there will be acontinuous string of cars in the closed circuit; those between the cage and tippler being filled cars and those between the tippler and the cage being empty cars. Accordingly, at each operation of the. cage or tippler loading ram, one or more cars will be pushed onto the turntable.

To enable these cars to move from the approach rail track on to the turn table and from the turntable on to the exit rail track, transition means are provided, at substantially diametrically-opposite sides of the plate 9, in association with the guide rails 16 and 17.

The outer rails 7 and 8 of the opposite tracks 2 and 3 are discontinued slightly short of the periphery of the plate 9 on opposite ends of a chord of said plate, and the space between ends of the rails is bridged by a fixed guide rail 26 which comprises an angle iron having one web vertical and the other web 27 directed horizontally inwards towards the axis of the plate 9.

The upper surface of the web 27 lies above the level of the plate 9 but below the level of the upper surface of the rails 7 and 8. At each end of the web 27 where it lies adjacent the ends of the rails 7 or 8, a plate 28 is secured to the upper surface of the web 27 and is of such vertical depth that its upper surface lies level with the surface of the rails 7 and 8, at its end adjacent the rails; If desired the plate 28 may be slightly tapered away from the rail ends so that the car wheels are raised or lowered gradually from the level of the plate 9 to that of the rails or vice versa.

At the ends of the inner rails 4 and 5 on the cage and tippler sides of the turntable, similar angle-members 29 are secured to the guide rail 17, these angle members also having plates 28 secured thereto. The angle members 26 and 29 are not parallel, the members 29 diverging inwardly towards the axis of the plate 9 to provide the additional width of separation of the guide rails 16, 17, around the turntable.

Cars pushed ofi the ends of the tracks 2 or 3 on to the rotating plate 9 thus leave the rails and are lowered until their wheel flanges rest on the plate 9 which carries them around the turntable until their wheels engage the plates 28 and they are guided on to the rails on the exit side of the turntable. To assist in the transfer of the cars from the rails to the turntable and thence back to the rails, those rails on the approach side may be laid slightly higher than those on the exit side so that there is a slight down grade on to the turntable and also a slight downgrade oif the turntable.

To enable cars to be removed from,.or introduced to, the closed circuit, as required, without interfering with the normal operation of the circuit the tracks 2 and 3 are continued on the opposite side of the turntable, on substantially diametrically-opposite chords thereof, and switching means are provided whereby the cars may be moved across either chord instead of around the turntable. One such switching means could be used at each end of the circuit, but it is preferable to have both the exit and inlet switches on the same turntable or, if desired, onboth turntables.

These switching means are substantially identical, although where both are associated with the same turntable they are arranged in opposite senses.

As shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, each switching means comprises a switch arm 30 comprising three articulated sections 31, 32 and 33 pivoted together for limited independent movement in a horizontal plane about pins 34 and 35. The adjacent ends of the sections 31 and 32 are so formed that when the two sections are occupying the position shown in FIGURE 7, so that their outer edges 36 and 37 are in a substantially straight line'(as shown in their broken-line position in FIGURE 1), a gap 38 is formed between their ends on the opposite side of the pin 34. In the same position, a gap 39 is formed between the adjacent ends of the sections 32 and 33 on the opposite side of the pin 35 from the edges 37, of those sections. The edge 40 does not form a continuation of the straight line of the edges 36, 37 but, as shown in FIGURE 1, tapers slightly radially-inwardly of the plate 9 to coincide with the adjacent end of the guide rail 29.

The opposite edges 41, 42 and 43, respectively, of the switch arms 30 are each concavely arcuate so that when, as shown in the full line positions in FIGURE 1, the arms 30 are in their outward positions, the spaces 33, 39, are moved to the opposite sides of the pins 34, 35 and the edges 41, 42 and 43 then co-operate to define a continuation of the arc of the guide rail 16 and of the periphery of the plate 9. A roller 44 is journalled in the sec tion 32 in such relation thereto that when the arm 3% is in its broken line, or inner, position, the roller axis intersects the axis of the vertical spindle 10.

On the radially-outer side of the section 31 a web 45 extends horizontally outwards from the wall 36 and when the arms 30 lie in the broken line positions of FIGURE 1, these plates form guide plates similar to the guides 29 of the inner rails 4 and 5 on the opposite ends of the chords of the turntable and guide the inner side wheels of the cars back from the plate 9 on to the rails 4 or 5.

The switch arms 30 are rotatable in a horizontal plane on a pivot pin 46 which is journalled in a boss 47 secured by a bracket 48, to the fixed frame 19. The section 31 of the arm 30 is secured to the upper end of the pin 46 above the boss 47 and a lever arm 49 is secured to its lower end. The lever arm 49 is pivoted between eyes at the end of the piston rod 50 of a piston and cylinder mechanism 51, the cylinder 52 of which is pivoted at its longitudinal centre on vertical pivots 53 in a frame 54 secured to the turntable base plate 55. Projection of the piston rod 50 from the cylinder 52 causes the associated switch arm 30 to be moved from its outer peripheral position to its position where it extends across the path of the plate 9 with its inner edges 36, '37, 40 substantially in line with the rails 4 or 5. Reverse operation of the piston and cylinder device 51 causes the switch arm 39 to be swung radially-outwards of the plate 9 so that its inner faces 41, 42, 4-3, come into arcuate alignment with the inner surface of the guide rail 16.

In the normal operation of the turntable, the plate 9 is caused to rotate by energisation of the motor 11 which through the reduction gearbox 13, rotates the twin sprocket 12. The teeth of the twin sprocket 12 engage the roller chains 15, which are secured around the drum '14, and the drum is caused to rotate, also rotating the plate 9, to which the drum is secured.

The drum 14 and plate 9 are rotated in either direction, which depends upon the relationship between the shaft head and the tippler. Assuming that the shaft head lies on the track 3 and the tippler on the track 4, the plate 9 will be rotated clockwise as shown in FIGURE '1.

Normally the switch arms 30 will be in their outer position as shown in full lines in FIGURE 1.

As the cage-loading ram is operated to eject full cars from the cage and to push empty cars into their place, the movement carries the leading car or cars from the rails 35 on the right of FIGURE 1 on to the plates 28 on the guide plates 26 and 29. As the wheels move along the plates 28 they are gradually lowered down towards the plate 9, by the taper on the plates 28, until their rim flanges rest upon the rotating plate 9. The plate 9 then carries them around in an arc, the car wheels skidding on the smoth surface of the plate 9 until they reach the guide plates 26, 29 at the end of the rails 4 and 7, where they are guided on to these rails, which may be laid with a slight down grade at their end nearest to the turntable to assist them to mount these rails.

If during such operation, it is desired to remove a car from the closed circuit the piston and cylinder device 51 is operated to swing the switch arm 30 on the leading, or

approach side of the turntable to the broken line position of FIGURE 1. The next car to be pushed on to the plate 9 will engage the edges 36, 57 and 40 of the arm and the car will be rammed across the chord of the disc until it engages the web 45 and guide plate 36 and rides up on to the rails 5 and 8 on the left of the turntable (as shown in FIGURE 1). The rejected car may then be taken away for maintenance or the like.

Normally, in order to maintain the full complement of cars in the circuit, the removal of one car will be accompanied by the insertion of a replacement car in its place. The ejection of one car has left a space in the circuit. A replacement car will normally be waiting on the track 2 at the left of FIGURE 1 and as the empty space produced by removal of the one car approaches the chord defined by the track 2 the switch arm 30 at the top of FIGURE 1 is moved to the broken line position and the replacement car is rammed across the chord thereof and into the string of loaded cars waiting to pass through the tippler.

The removal and replacement of a car can thus be efiected without interference with the normal working of the shaft-head system.

it will be obvious that where the layout of the shafthead system is reversed, track 2 may be the approach track and track 3 the exit track.

What I claim is:

1. A closed circuit track system comprising a pair of substantially parallel tracks, each comprising a pair of rails, a turntable connecting said pair of tracks intermediate their ends, a peripheral guide rail about said turntable between said tracks, a switch arm pivoted at the junction of the inner track of each rail and said peripheral guide rail to swing in one direction to a chordwise position relative to said turntable with one side aligned with the inner rail of its track and in the opposite direction to an arcuate position with the other side conforming to the periphery of said turntable between said tracks.

2. The closed circuit track system according to claim 1, wherein said switch arm comprises an articulated member having a plurality of sections pivoted together for limited relative movement therebetween in a horizontal plane, each said section comprising one concave vertical edge and one straight vertical edge whereby, upon said relative movement therebetween in one direction, said concave edges are adapted to co-operate to define an arc of the curvature of said peripheral guide rail and, upon said relative movement in the other direction, said straight vertical edges are adapted to co-operate to define a substantially-linear continuation of said substantially-straight track portion.

3. The closed track system according to claim 2, wherein the straight edge of the section of said switch arm farthest from the pivot thereof is disposed at an angle to the straight edges of the other said sections thereof when said switch arm is moved in said other direction.

4. The closed circuit track system according to claim 2, wherein said peripheral guide rail and said switch arm cooperate to define a peripheral guide rail extending around substantially half the periphery of said turntable when said switch arm has been moved in said one direction.

5. The closed circuit track system according to claim 2, wherein said turntable comprises a smooth-surfaced disc-like member rotatable about a vertical axis and having its peripheral edge substantially co-extensive with, and beneath, the radially-inner arcuate surface of said peripheral guide rail, means to rotate said disc-like member, and an inner guide rail substantially concentric with said peripheral guide rail and defining therewith a semicircular trackway on said disc-like member, said semicircular trackway having a radial width in excess of the width between the rails of said track portion.

6. The closed circuit track system according to claim 5, wherein said substantially-straight track portion comprises two linear sections each comprising two parallel rails, the outer ones of which lie tangentially and longitudinally-spaced from opposite ends of a chord of said turntable, a longitudinal member disposed between adjacent ends of said outer rails below the upper surface or" said outer rails and a longitudinal member spaced between the end of one inner guide rail and the inner guide rail of said turntable and below the upper surfaces of said inner rails, and means on that end of each said longitudinal member which lies adjacent the inner and outer rails adapted to lower the wheels of a mine car from said rails to the surface of said disc-like member as said car is moved from said rails on to said disc-like member.

7. The closed circuit track system according to claim 6, wherein said switch arm upon movement in said other direction is adapted to define a substantially-linear continuation of the longitudinal member between the end of said inner rail and said inner guide rail.

8. The closed circuit track system according to claim wherein the means to rotate said disc-like member comprise a cylindrical drum secured co-aXially to said disclike member and depending therefrom, a roller chain secured around the periphery of said drum, and a prime mover adapted to cause the rotation of a chain sprocket the teeth of which are engaged with said chain between the rollers thereof.

9. The closed circuit track system according to claim 8, comprising two said track portions associated with said turntable on diametrically-opposite parallel chords thereof and one said switch arm associated with each said track portion; each said switch arm being adapted, in said one position thereof, to form an arcuate continuation of said peripheral guide rail, being pivotable in opposite ends thereof and being directed in opposite senses relative thereto and each said switch arm being adapted to be moved independently between the two alternative positions thereof.

10. A closed-circuit track system, comprising a pair of spaced-apart substantially-parallel track sections each comprising a pair of parallel rails, a pair of linearlyspaced turntables interposed in, and connecting together, said parallel track sections, an outer peripheral guide plate above each said turntable beyond said track sections, switch means secured adjacent at least one end of each track section and adapted to be moved between one position wherein a portion of the switch means defines a substantially-linear continuation of one rail of the associated track section and a second position wherein a portion of said switch means comprises an arcuate continuation of a peripheral guide rail of the associated turntable.

11. A track system according to claim 10, wherein said articulated switch means comprises an articulated switch arm pivoted at or adjacent an end of said peripheral guide rail and having means adapted to move it between said one position and said second position thereof, the articulated switch arm comprising a plurality of sections each pivoted together for relative restricted movement therebetween, the vertical edges of the sections on one side of said articulated switch arm being longitudinally concave and the vertical edges of the sections on the other side thereof being substantially-straight, whereby upon relative movement between said sections in one direction one edge of the articulated switch arm is adapted to de fine an arc of substantially the same radius as that of the peripheral guide-rail, and upon relative movement between said sections in the other direction the opposite edge of the switch arm is adapted to define a substantiallylinear continuation of one rail of one of said track sections.

12. A track system according to claim 11, wherein said turntables are interposed in said track sections intermediate the ends thereof, said track sections crossing said turntables on diametrically-opposite chords thereof.

, 13. A track system according to claim 12, wherein said turntables each comprise a rail-less rotatable disc having a smooth upper surface, an inner guide rail above said disc and terminating adjacent the inner rails of said track sections, means associated with said peripheral guide rail disposed above the surface of said disc for guiding wheels of a mine car vertically between the surface of the rails of said track system and the surface of said disc and for guiding the mine car through the path defined on said rotatable disc by said guide rails, said articulated switch arms being operable alternatively to cooperate with said peripheral guide rail to confine said mine car to the path on said rotatable disc or to divert said car from said path to a second path across a chord of said disc.

14. In a turntable for an articulated railed track systern, a switch arm comprising a plurality of sections each pivotally connected together for limited relative movemeat in a horizontal plane, each section comprising an elongated member having one linearly-concave vertical side and one vertical straight side, the limited relative movement between said sections in one horizontal direction being such as to permit said concave sides to co operate to form an arc of substantially-constant radius and the limited relative movement in the other horizontal direction being such as to permit the straight sides to cooperateto define a substantially-straight side throughout the length of said articulated switch arm.

15. A switch arm according to claim 14, wherein one end of said articulated switch arm has pivotal means associated therewith and the section on. the opposite end of said articulated switch arm is substantially triangular in plan, whereby when said relative movement takes place in said other horizontal direction the straight side of the section on said other end of the articulated switch arm lies at a small angle to the straight sides of the other said sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain June 12, 1957 

